1980 gs 850 carb price

[raphy2]

hello.I'm new to the gs board.I've been having bikes for a while.I stopped for a few years,then now have the fever to ride again.I picked up this 80 gs850L.It is in immaculate condition.I have the problem of only runs with choke on high.It will die out if given any throttle at all.It was sitting for about a year.it points to a carb rebuild.This is my question.What would be a fair price for someone to take off.rebuild and sync and put back on? I don't have the time,Or just a little bit of laziness involved also.I had a real bike mechanic confirm the carb problem.just would like some input on prices that might be fair.I picked the bike up for 500.00.everything else on the bike is top.Thanks for the message board.I will be visiting here more often.

[cleonard]

It can be hard to find someone who will work on your bike. Most dealerships don't work on old bikes and judging by what I have seen you don't want them to. Many will only work on bikes less than 10 or 15 years old. Your best bet is to find an independent guy who knows what he is doing.

I pretty much do all my own work on such old bikes. The value is just not there to be paying a lot to get it fixed. A thorough job will take several hours of time an 4x$25 carb kits. Just guessing I think you are looking at at least $300 if not $400 or more.

[TheCafeKid]

hello.I'm new to the gs board.I've been having bikes for a while.I stopped for a few years,then now have the fever to ride again.I picked up this 80 gs850L.It is in immaculate condition.I have the problem of only runs with choke on high.It will die out if given any throttle at all.It was sitting for about a year.it points to a carb rebuild.This is my question.What would be a fair price for someone to take off.rebuild and sync and put back on? I don't have the time,Or just a little bit of laziness involved also.I had a real bike mechanic confirm the carb problem.just would like some input on prices that might be fair.I picked the bike up for 500.00.everything else on the bike is top.Thanks for the message board.I will be visiting here more often.

It actually points to a number of posibilities, all of which i too had to learn, and all of which should be addressed before running headlong into the carbs. First tho, welcome to your salvation. Dont spend the money to pay some schmuck to do this job. YOU can do it, and you'll be richer in the mind and wallet for it.

Issues: Yes your carbs probably could stand a good cleaning and some new gaskets and orings. Get yourself a can of Berrymans carb dip (others may have different suggestions on this, but this stuff has work for LOTS of ppl) order new carbie orings from here www.cycleorings.com (seriously they are cheap man) and follow the fantastic carb cleaning instructions found either on the Garage section from the main page or BassCliff probably has a tutorial for THIS very bike.

Second, you probably have air leaks in either your intake boots, airbox or both. Order yourself some new hex head bolts for your boots, as well as new intake orings from www.cycleorings.com (also cheap)

Third while you're at it, checking your valve clearances is ALWAYS a good thing, and is easy enough to do.

Like me, if you automaticly assume its your carbs, you could be in for some serious frustration.

Welcome to the GSR!! If you have questions, just ask!!

TCK

[raphy2]

carb price gs850 1980

I think I'll have the bike mechanic rebuild my carbs.He seemed well informed on all the parts and problems associated with this problem.(vacuum leaks,etc.)I don't have the time right now to do it myself.I'll keep you guys posted on the status of this repair.Just some more info.The bike with the choke pulled all the way out runs until i give gas.Then it dies.I changed plugs.after running the bike trying to clean out the carb,I checked the plugs.2 of them started looking carboned up.this could be from running the bike with the choke on for long periods.the other 2 still looked brand new,like no gas was getting to the plugs.(like something was plugged up.I opened the screws on the bottom float bowl.gas poured out no problem.there is good spark on the 2 plugs that still look new(signs of no gas for combustion)so I'm sure I'll go with the rebuilding.Thanks for your input.I'll keep everybody posted

[TheCafeKid]

I think I'll have the bike mechanic rebuild my carbs.He seemed well informed on all the parts and problems associated with this problem.(vacuum leaks,etc.)I don't have the time right now to do it myself.I'll keep you guys posted on the status of this repair.Just some more info.The bike with the choke pulled all the way out runs until i give gas.Then it dies.I changed plugs.after running the bike trying to clean out the carb,I checked the plugs.2 of them started looking carboned up.this could be from running the bike with the choke on for long periods.the other 2 still looked brand new,like no gas was getting to the plugs.(like something was plugged up.I opened the screws on the bottom float bowl.gas poured out no problem.there is good spark on the 2 plugs that still look new(signs of no gas for combustion)so I'm sure I'll go with the rebuilding.Thanks for your input.I'll keep everybody posted

While i agree with your assesment on the dirty carbs, this is also symptomatic of an air leak with CV type carbs. They are super intollerant to air leak since they opperate via vaccum, unlike mechanical slide type carbs. I have an 82 yammie with BS cv carbs that refuses to accept throttle right now as well, and im certian its an air leak as i have the carbs spotless.

[BassCliff]

Hey howdy hey!

Mr. raphy2,

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that good standing can be improved with pictures! :-D

Just to get you familiar with the procedure, you can see the site's carb rebuild series by clicking here. Mr. bwringer shows us a bit about replacing carb boots and o-rings here. I you're not doing them yourself then you probably don't need to see Mr. robertbarr and his O-ring selection. For other 850-specific maintenance tasks you can check out my little BikeCliff website.

I'll admit, carbs scare me a bit and I have yet to rebuild a set. I bought an extra set to practice on. But there are others here who can do it blindfolded. I've been quoted $250-$300 for a carb rebuild by a local guy who specializes in these classic bikes. Of course, one mechanic's idea of carb rebuild may be different from another's. If someone else is doing it, be sure they have a good reputation. I've read horror stories in this forum about bad carb rebuilds.

I'd like to quote the wisdom of one of my favorite GSR members, Mr. bwringer:
**************************
>From Mr. bwringer:

Every GS850 has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting.

It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years.

It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile o-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)

Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)

Valve clearances (more important than most people think)

Carb/airbox boots

Airbox sealing

Air filter sealing

Petcock (install a NEW one)

On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)

On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.

Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.


None of these things can be neglected, worked around, or half-assed in any way. Once they are squared away, you most likely have a bike that runs like a dream -- these issues account for a very large portion of running problems.

If not, then you can pursue more exotic problems. For example, I have found incorrect float heights a couple of times due to a common misunderstanding in how these are best measured. But you can't uncover other problems without making sure the intake/exhaust paths are leak-free, the valves are adjusted correctly, and you're getting good spark.
********************************

And then, there's always Sea Foam. Sometimes it can help, but a rebuild is always the best thing to do.

Thanks for joining us. Please keep us informed and if you can't find the information you need by using the search feature, feel free to ask.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff,
(the unofficial FSR greeter)

[Nessism]

Sorry to pile on but to expand on BassCliff's post, these GS bikes are old and will need work. If you run to a mechanic everytime something needs doing, you are going to go broke.

In addition to getting the engine to run right, don't neglect the brakes. At the very least the fluid should be flushed with new, and if the fluid has chunkies in it, a full system teardown is in order.

Good luck.